Falling Apart And Growing Together
by MustelineCurses
Summary: A feud between the members of Cell 7 will change the future of two boys forever. SasuNaru yaoi. Maybe lemons later.
1. Ch 1 : Team Seven's Feud

**Falling Apart and Growing Together – Team Seven's Feud**

By Meo.

B-T-F'ing-W:_This is a story about guys 3ing eachother._

_Just thought I'd let you know._

**_Yaoi_**, Sasunaru, Sakura bashing ('cuz she's a ho)

**AN – Huzzah, I got off my lazy ass and actually wrote out one of my brain-childs. This is the second story I've gotten to put up on t3h int3rn3tx0rz, and it'll be better than FMA Fatale. I swear. Just…read the story. I shall bore you no longer. Unless you don't like this story. In which case…well, F U. …Not really. :D**

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Scalding, blazing heat_

_In both the air and in hearts_

_Which is the hottest?_

The shrill chirring of cicadas rang piercingly throughout the forest which surrounded the village hidden in the leaves. Browning grass and the blazing sun marked the deepest part of the season and branded it as one of the hottest summers the land had seen in years. This fact, however, didn't stop a certain group of ninja in training from honing their skills further.

Currently, two boys were wrestling immaturely, fed up with the use of professional techniques. A dark-haired teen was straddling the waist of the boy beneath him and keeping his arms pinned above his head in a futile attempt to keep him from squirming. The strategy wasn't really working, however. The blond was determined.

A growl followed by "Stop struggling, loser," came from Sasuke and, though the boy in question didn't do what was suggested of him, he did stop howling as if he was being beaten and manage a real sentence.

"Sasuke, get the hell off of me!" he snapped. "It's too freaking hot!"

"Not until you admit that I won."

"Never!"

"Then you'll just have to suffer, won't you?"

The only girl in the squad, Sakura, sighed loudly. _It really _is_ hot out here,_ she thought to herself as she wiped the back of her hand across her damp forehead. While the boys had been sparring and their sensei had been reading his…'adult novel', she had been exercising by herself to build her physical strength. The three had improved greatly over the (almost) three years since they'd become ninja, but Sakura was still the scrawniest of the group. She sighed again and glanced at her perverted, silver-haired teacher.

'Kakashi-sensei, make them stop arguing, please," she suggested. A one-eyed glance and a shrug were the only response she got. Naruto and Sasuke continued their childish argument.

"The only reason you're on top of me is 'cuz I tripped, bastard!"

"Hnn, but I _am_ on top of you…" Sasuke said thoughtfully.

"GAH! YOU PERVERT!" Naruto wailed while unsuccessfully attempting to hide the blush that crossed his face. Sasuke smirked and leaned closer to his prey, dark hair falling to brush against whiskered cheeks.

They remained like this for a moment, labored breaths mingling, lips separated by a tiny space of air, staring into the other's eyes. Just _daring_ the other to try something. Something they'd both longed to do for a few years.

It was obvious that the two boys cared for each other, but how deep that care ran was secluded in their hearts, unshared. They were rivals, but somehow managed to also be best friends. Despite the feelings they harbored, the friendship was nothing more than just that – friendship. Both longed for it to be more but didn't dare ruin what they had.

Kakashi took that moment to glance at his young charges and raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you saying it was too hot a second ago, Naruto?"

This was enough to jolt the two out of their 'moment' and Sasuke smirked faintly at the blond before sitting up. These little slip ups were not uncommon in the training procedures the boys participated in; in fact, they secretly enjoyed them. Perverted, silver-haired jounin, however, took every opportunity they could to poke fun at their students. Kakashi could easily see the crushes the teens had on each other even if _they_ couldn't. With the snap of a closing book Kakashi turned to the group.

"Since you've all done quite a good job of training today, and it is a bit warm out, I just thought I'd tell you all that training is over."

Naruto cheered.

"And there's a river over there. Just to let you know," he added before turning back to his book.

Naruto and Sakura cheered while Sasuke sighed contently. The blonde and pink haired members of the team gained vigor and instantly dashed in the direction indicated by their teacher, followed by the latter and the Uchiha heir.

Though the sky was slowly darkening, indicating an oncoming (and much needed) rainstorm, Cell 7 jumped on the opportunity to cool off. Naruto shamelessly discarded all clothing but his boxers (which, needless to say, were orange) as he ran and jumped into the water with a cry of joy. Kakashi dangled his feet in the river instead, and Sakura fidgeted, feeling awkward around the boys. She couldn't just strip and jump in the water. Unlike Naruto, she had dignity. _What if Sasuke-kun saw?_ Inner Sakura wondered deviously. Sakura blushed and glanced at the focus of her thoughts.

Sasuke sat on the river bank and discarded his clothing, folding it and setting it where it wouldn't get wet, unlike Naruto's method of 'strip-as-you-go'. He sighed at the fox boy and proceeded to fold his clothes as well.

"Sasukeeee…Hurry up!" Naruto whined. "Neat freak!" …He _did_ appreciate what the other boy was doing, however. Sasuke scowled at the blond before sliding into the water as well.

A content sigh escaped the dark-haired boy as he slid into the water in much the same way as someone else would dip into a hot tub for the first time. He looked very serene, something both Naruto and Sakura noticed. The latter had decided to suck it up and do what the boys were doing; bathe in her underwear. _Maybe it'll catch Sasuke-kun's attention…_Inner Sakura grinned. Naruto, no less absorbed by the scantily clad Uchiha than Sakura, was much more inclined to do _something_ to him. But…he couldn't bring himself to do something out of character.

So he flung water at Sasuke's content face.

Sasuke's surprised outburst sent Naruto into peals of laughter and sent Sakura into squeaks of, "Naruto! That was mean! Apologize to Sasuke-kun right now!" and other such protests of A.A.A.S.K (or Any Acts Against Sasuke Kun. The Uchiha fanclub took out the hyphen so it would turn into a word.) Sasuke sputtered and shook his head like a wet dog. An angry, dark-eyed glare was sent pointedly at the laughing blond who, in turn, took no notice. The fox boy was, after all, one of the only people on earth who had immunity to the Uchiha Death-Glare.

"Naruto…" Sasuke growled threateningly. The blond just grinned, absolutely _begging_ to be jumped. And so, he was. Sasuke leapt at Naruto and shoved the startled boy underwater. Sakura and Kakashi twitched as they were splashed and the Jounin teacher just sighed. Sakura turned to him with a pleading look. He just shrugged and turned back to his favorite novel.

"You'd think you'd have gotten used to it by now, Sakura," he said simply.

She just sighed and watched.

The two boys grappled like grade-schoolers, flinging water and insults at each other without abandon. Both of them were laughing and grinning (or, in Sasuke's case, slightly-more-than-smirking, because it was unheard of for the Uchiha to grin) at the other while they play-fought. It was almost refreshing to watch the two play, Kakashi mused, after they swore and fought the rest of the time. He smiled faintly under his mask and watched out of the corner of his eye.

Finally, as the sky continued to darken, the teens seemed to run out of energy. Light breezes fluttered around them and chilled their soaked skin. Panting, they exchanged glances before wordlessly deciding it was time to get out of the water.

Naruto flopped onto the grass the second he was out of the river and sighed. "I'm so tired, now…" he whined. Sasuke shook his head at the blonde's constant complaints and smacked him lightly on the back of the head. He let his fingers linger there for the tiniest moment before taking the towel Kakashi offered him. The action wasn't unnoticed by Naruto who repressed a smile and blush because of the slight touch. Nevertheless, he called Sasuke a bastard and smacked his hand away to cover his faint joy. Said 'bastard' just 'hnn'd and turned away to dry himself off.

The blond grunted as a towel was tossed at his head, but he took it and laid it out on the ground in front of him to stretch out on. Kneeling on it on his hands and knees, Naruto did one of the most annoying habits he gained from the fox demon sealed within him : he shook off like a dog, flinging water around everywhere. Kakashi sighed, Sakura shrieked distastefully, and Sasuke snarled the blonde's name. Naruto grinned broadly at the Uchiha and said in a strange voice, "Yeeees, Saaaasuke? Whatever could be the matter?"

Sasuke just glared at the blond. "You're such a loser," he muttered before ducking under his towel to dry his hair. Naruto stuck his tongue out before drying himself off as well.

All four of the group could hear the first thunderclap; the storm was moving quickly. Winds blew instead of breezes and encouraged the group to put clothing on over their swimwear. Unfortunately, with the darkening weather would come darkened moods.

As she had created a habit of asking 'Sasuke-kun' out at every opportunity, today would be no exception for the cherry-haired girl. While Naruto had moved on and no longer had a crush on her at all, she was still set on defeating Ino to try and gain Sasuke's heart.

Both the boys had quite enjoyed their romp and were in high spirits at the time. Naruto found himself staring at Sasuke and blushed, embarrassed to do so in front of his teammates. _I can't let them see. If they knew…If _he _knew…_ he sighed a bit, pulled down from cloud nine. _He can't like me the way I like him. That's just a fairy tale for me…_ He shivered. The cutting breeze whipped at him angrily and chilled him to the bone. A wet towel wasn't the best blanket, he decided.

Sasuke glanced at the fox boy and noticed him shiver. He frowned slightly, disliking the sight of any discomfort in the blonde, and attempted a friendly suggestion. "Put your clothes on, loser. You're going to catch cold."

It was then when Sakura decided to make her move. Before Naruto could thank Sasuke (not really thinking about it before hand), the pink haired girl began her attempt.

Still wearing only her underwear, she moved towards Sasuke while making unnecessary hip movements. Sakura glanced at him to see if she was getting any notice from the stoic boy, but saw that he…wasn't even looking at her. And she was right in front of him, too. This didn't discourage her, however. She was kinda used to getting ignored by the Uchiha she lusted after. _I've got to ask him, though. Today seems like a lucky day to me!_ She thought.

"Oh, Sasuke-kuun! Can I ask you a question…?"

He glanced at her with disgust.

Naruto half giggled at the sight. Sakura glared at him for it. He managed to keep from laughing _too_ loudly.

"Well, Sasuke-kun, do you have any plans for after training today?"

He grunted, signaling no.

"Well, I was just wondering…Since you don't have anything to do, and neither do I…"

Sasuke growled. Would she _ever_ get the point?

The girl continued, beating around the bush like a blind person with a blade of grass. She just couldn't get to the point. "Well, I was thinking it would be _boring_ to spend the rest of a perfectly nice day-" at this point, a raindrop hit Sasuke on the nose and another thunderclap sounded in the distance, "-on my own, and you probably wouldn't want to waste the day either…"

"Spit it out, Sakura." He was tempted to say, _I know what the question is and the answer is NO_, but he kept a civil tongue. For the moment.

She blinked at his interruption and clawed at a raindrop that landed on her forehead before continuing. "Oh, yes. Well…I guess the question would be…Would you…go on a date with me, Sasuke-kuun?" Sakura even dared to pull a tiny pouty face and managed to look somewhat like a hurt puppy.

Sasuke took in a deep breath and, very calmly, said, "No."

Sakura, however, was feeling different that day. She set her face in a frown and looked at the boy. Naruto, meanwhile, was watching from under the towel. He had only managed to ignore the conversation long enough to put on his pants. _This is gonna be interesting…_ he thought, secretly cheering for Sasuke.

Sakura was determined, finally deciding that today was the day that she would learn _why_ Sasuke had been turning her down all these years. "Sasuke-kun, why?" This startled the Uchiha. He blinked at her before frowning. She continued as an almost angry look crossed her face. "All these years I've been asking you to out with me! I know you _so_ well, better than anyone else, but you refuse to go out with me!"

Meanwhile, Naruto had paused in the act of drying his hair and watched the scene unfold from under the unmoving towel. _There's all _kinds_ of things wrong with what she's saying,_ he thought. The angry look that grew in Sasuke's eyes was unnerving as well.

Sakura continued her rant. "I mean, all this time, we've been on the same team. I've fought beside you, I've trained with you…I just…please, Sasuke!" The boys could swear that they saw tears in the corners of her eyes. "Tell me why you don't want to go out with me!"

Sasuke was pissed. He glared at the pink haired girl before taking a breath and letting it out slowly. "You want to know why I don't want to go out with you?" he asked calmly. She nodded slightly, her previous determination fading. So, he started a list.

"You're loud. You're obnoxious. You're clingy as hell. You won't take 'no' for an answer. You're obsessive. You don't learn." Sakura's eyes widened slightly with each thing Sasuke said.

She looked gravely hurt, watching as Sasuke finished talking. "You and all those other girls that hang all over me all the time are all the same. You don't know me just because we're on the same team, Sakura." His eyes narrowed. "You say you love me. You don't. It's called 'infatuation', not love, Sakura."

Angrily she interrupted him. "I know the difference, Sasuke!" she argued.

"Obviously, you don't!" he snapped back at her. Sakura, who appeared to be on the brink of tears, continued to argue with Sasuke, who appeared to be on the brink of some kind of murderous outburst. Naruto, however, found the whole thing quite amusing. Sakura had it coming.

Finally, however, the worst part of the argument broke like a wave. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He stood abruptly and snarled, "Even if you _think_ you love me, Sakura, I don't love you. I will not _grow_ to love you. At the moment, I don't particularly _like_ you."

Sakura looked rather like she'd been slapped. She stared at Sasuke with wide, hurt eyes. "…Sasuke…" she said quietly. Her fingers tangled together at her breast and her mint green eyes searched Sasuke's angry black ones. Another rumble of thunder growled through the air as the rain began to increase in intensity.

The scene was too dramatic for the fox boy, however, and he couldn't hold himself back anymore. He had been laughing soundlessly, his body shaking under the towel, but the look on Sakura's face was so priceless he couldn't hold back the snort of laughter that burst from his throat. The sound caught the attention of both his teammates, so he quickly busied himself with drying himself off again.

The upset look Sakura had faded into one of fury, surprising the Uchiha and the blond. Slowly and deliberately, she turned towards him.

"What's so funny…Naruto?" she growled. His bright blue eyes flicked up at her, but before he could defend himself, she descended upon him in an angry state the likes of which he'd never seen her in. "How can you laugh at me!" she barked. Naruto winced. Again, she interrupted him before he could say anything in his defense. "You think it's _funny_ that Sasuke doesn't love me?"

"That's not it, Sakura!" he blurted, trying to fend off the angry girl.

"I can't _believe_ you, Naruto! You're so horrible!" Angry tears formed in her eyes. "At least I have more of a chance of having someone love me than _you_ ever will!"

Naruto just stared, a stricken look on his face. Sasuke looked at the back of Sakura's head, not believing what she had said. His eyes turned to the blond who was just as taken aback. Naruto's eyes were blank as memories flooded his mind. Sakura, however, was not about to leave the argument. Perhaps if she had stopped to see how her words had affected him, she would have shut up.

"Everyone _hates_ you, Naruto! I can see the way they look at you. The way _everyone_ looks at you. They detest the very fact that you exist. And you laugh at me for loving someone? Because it's something you'll never have!"

Something inside Sasuke snapped at that moment. The pained look in Naruto's eyes was too much for him to take. "Shut the _fuck_ up," he snarled, grabbing Sakura's wrist with unnecessary strength and spinning her around so that she was eye to eye with the Sharingan. He could see the well deserved fear that flickered in her gaze. Saying that Sasuke was pissed of would be the understatement of the century. "How _dare_ you say something like that, you…you…"

"Naruto!"

Sasuke looked up at the sound of their sensei's voice just in time to see a blur of tanned skin and blonde hair lunge into the trees in the direction of the village. Sasuke watched as the familiar figure of the fox boy disappeared. He said the boy's name softly, thoughts of what could be going through the blonde's head worrying him greatly. The Uchiha turned towards Sakura briefly and snarled a vague threat on her life before grabbing Naruto's things and racing into the trees after him.

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Naruto had already reached his house, using a transportation jutsu when he was sure he couldn't hold back the tears anymore. He collapsed on the floor of his apartment sobbing loudly, the tears running down his face in streams. Sakura's words had cut like a knife, slicing into the part of his mind where the cruel things the villagers had said to him were locked away.

_You're a demon!_

_You destroyed this village!_

_The world would be better off without you ever existing, _demon

Locking his arms around his knees, more horrid thoughts broke into his mind. _Sakura's right. Nobody loves me. Sasuke can't love me. He hates me like everyone else. …Maybe I should…make their wishes come true. _His tearful, crystal blue eyes turned towards the kitchen and one of the drawers. _I left my kunai at the training grounds, so…that'll have to do. The damn fox better not do anything to try and stop me._

Naruto stood sluggishly and, still crying, moved towards the drawer he had looked at before. Slowly he drew it open and pulled from it's depths a single knife, once used for cutting vegetables. His gaze flickered across the weapon analytically. Devoid of any emotions, he moved back into the living room of his small apartment.

Positioning the knife shakily at the base of his palm, his mind wandered again. Naruto questioned his intentions. _Will anyone miss me? …No. Nobody will. They'll be glad I'm gone. People will dance on my grave…if they bury me. _

His decided it was a good time to stop thinking. A shaky sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the blade's handle, ready to execute his plan.

_Bye, Sasuke. Too bad I never got to say…I love you._

At first, he thought the knocking on the door was part of his dysfunctional imagination. He shook his head and ignored it until it grew almost angry.

It was pointless to try to push the percussive noise out of his thoughts, so the fox boy stood abruptly and walked to the door. _Probably Sakura, making sure I've killed myself by now,_ he thought.

To say Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke at the door would be an understatement. He locked eyes with the Uchiha heir for a moment before he found him self pressed to the wall, the knife wrenched from his grip. He gasped. "Sasuke, what are you—"

"What the hell were you thinking!" Sasuke's voice wasn't angry as it should have been. It was almost pleading, confusing the blond to no end. His brows furrowed.

"I was doing Konohagakure a favor," Naruto replied quietly. He refused to look into Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke had instantly known what the fox boy was planning to do; the emotionless gaze and white-knuckled grip he had on the knife were telltale signs of what he was planning. If he hadn't followed Naruto…He shook his head. He didn't want to think of the consequences.

It was obvious that the blond was distraught and scared by Sasuke's outburst. The dark-eyed teen could actually feel Naruto trembling from where he clutched at his wrists to keep the boy pinned, just in case he tried to escape. Trying to calm Naruto down even just a little, Sasuke spoke the distressed boy's name as gently and warmly as he could. The tearful eyes that turned his way all but broke Sasuke's heart. He hated to see pain in those crystal blue orbs that betrayed Naruto's every emotion.

Naruto felt Sasuke's fingers slide down his bare arms until they were no longer touching the blond. The loss of contact, however, worried him, as did the somber look in the other's eyes. Naruto swallowed hard; he didn't want to cry anymore, especially not in front of Sasuke. The tears were fighting against the barriers he had put up, though, and it was getting harder to keep them at bay. Abruptly, the plethora of emotions that flooded his mind overtook him. Suddenly lacking the strength to stand or fight back the tears, Naruto sunk to the floor and buried his face in his knees. He hated his inability to fight back his sadness.

_SHIT. I did something wrong_, Sasuke thought instantly, dropping to his knees. He had never really heard Naruto cry like this before and the sound scared him. All of the boy's strength seemed to dissipate as he sobbed hysterically, hugging his knees as if they were his only lifeline.

The Uchiha couldn't just watch. As gently as he could, he put out both of his hands and lightly touched Naruto's arms, giving the blond a heads-up so he wouldn't be startled as to what Sasuke was going to do. His long fingers brushed over Naruto's tanned skin until his hands rested on the shaking shoulders of the other boy. _Please don't hate me for this,_ he mentally begged before pulling the fox boy to his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around him. Sasuke didn't say a word. He remained as he was, tenderly holding Naruto close to his chest, stroking his sunshine-yellow hair with one hand and gently rubbing his back with the other.

Sasuke certainly didn't expect to be hugged back, but he was, and quite forcefully at that. Naruto clutched desperately to the fan design on the back of Sasuke's shirt and buried his face in the crook of the other's neck. If anything, however, his sobs only increased in intensity because he was touched so deeply by Sasuke's embrace.

Another thunderclap sounded in the distance and the sound of rain pounding on the windowpanes increased. The storm was growing in intensity, mostly unnoticed by the two teens safe inside Naruto's apartment. Finally the fox boy seemed to calm down and his tears slowed to a stop. He blinked hard and sniffed loudly. _I can't believe I broke down like that…But…Sasuke hugged me?_ He was too embarrassed to stay in Sasuke's arms after his 'episode', but as he began to pull away from the other boy, he found himself held tighter. Faintly he blushed.

The Uchiha heir turned his head just enough so his cheek rested against Naruto's blond hair. Though he wasn't entirely sure of what to say, he wanted to break the silence. "You feel a little better, Naruto?" he asked quietly. Said fox boy flinched a little at the voice but nodded a tiny bit to show he did feel more relieved. "I brought the stuff you left at training," Sasuke reminded him. After a sniffle and a nod, Naruto reluctantly pulled a hand away to wipe at the streaks on his face left by tears. He was startled by the touch of a hand that wasn't his on his cheek. Bright blue eyes instantly darted up to meet onyx black ones.

Naruto shivered slightly and closed his eyes as Sasuke's thumb brushed away the remaining dampness from the scars on his face. He'd never known the usually stoic boy could be so…tender and caring. Without really meaning too he turned into the touch. This kind of feeling was completely new to the boy who had always been shunned and pushed under the rug, but he found himself instantly addicted to the feel of it. _I like this side of Sasuke. I wish I could see it more,_ he thought shamelessly while putting his arm back around the subject of his thoughts. Naruto didn't care that Sasuke was a boy, let alone the most sought-after boy in all of Konoha; he simply followed his heart and could tell, from some instinct within him, that he adored the other with all his heart.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was having similar thoughts about Naruto. He had never loved the blond as much as he did at that moment. His pale hand slid from Naruto's cheek to his waist to pull him closer. _I feel like I need to protect him, keep him from feeling this way_, he mused.

After a long moment where the two simply reveled being in the other's arms, Naruto spoke up, his voice still slightly shaky from crying. "Um, Sasuke…It's still raining really hard, right?" He didn't really need an answer; the howling wind and percussive rain was enough of a response. Sasuke nodded a little anyway. "…If you wanted, you could…um…" _Crap. Courage is too fleeting,_ Naruto thought. He swallowed a bit and hid his face in Sasuke's shoulder before muttering, "…spend the night here so you don't have to go out in the storm."

Certainly the Uchiha wasn't going to give up an opportunity such as that, but Naruto was truly frightened that he would say 'no' and leave. He was so relieved when Sasuke chuckled softly and said, "Sure," that he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. This made the other teen give another tiny laugh. Naruto's response to Sasuke laughing was to hug him tighter and smile. Sasuke's rare, true laughs were one of Naruto's favorite sounds.

"You should laugh more," Naruto murmured into Sasuke's shoulder. "Smile more, too."

"Glad to see you're feeling better," was the reply that accompanied a ruffle of blond hair. A squawk of protest from Naruto made Sasuke laugh a little again before he stated, "There's only one problem if I stay here."

Naruto blinked up at him, the hand that wasn't tangled in Sasuke's shirt placed firmly on his head in order to defend his hair. "What's wrong?"

"I don't have any other clothes with me than the ones I'm wearing."

The fox boy sighed in relief. "Oh, that's all? You can wear some of mine if you have to. And no, it's not _all_ orange." Sasuke's lips twitched up into a small smile.

"You know me all too well," he said. Naruto smiled, too, embarrassed by the faint blush that tinted his cheeks; he could tell Sasuke meant what he said, and not just about his dislike of the blonde's favorite color.

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_**So, please tell me what y'all think. Constructive criticism is one of my best friends. Besides Photoshop. And my 0.3 sized lead pencil. Anyhoo, I'd appreciate any comments you got. **_


	2. Ch 2 : A Binding Night

**Falling Apart and Growing Together – A Binding Night**

By Meo.

B-T-F'ing-W:_This is a story about guys heart-ing each other._

_Just thought I'd let you know._

**_Yaoi_**, Sasunaru, Sakura bashing ('cuz she's a beeyotch), and words that would not be deemed appropriate for cable television.

Since I forgot a Disclaimer in the first Chapter: This ain't mine. The…'plot' is. But not the characters or stuff. That's all. I'm not writing this again. Bitch.

**AN – Zomg I'm so happy so many people liked my story ;; I never expected it to get that many reviews. My other story only got…1, I think. ;; I try to reply to all the reviews I get, so expect a reply directly to the review; it won't get written in the story. Thank you, reviewers, for encouraging my lazy ass to start writing the second chapter of this story. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Though reluctantly, the two boys eventually separated from each other and Naruto led his guest up to his bedroom to find some clothes for him.

Sasuke hadn't imagined Naruto's apartment to be in the condition it was. The blonde's home was much cleaner than expected and seemed quite comfortable. Warm colors shone throughout the whole area in oranges and browns. While some of the furniture appeared well worn, Naruto didn't seem to mind.

The Uchiha was so busy examining the other boy's home he didn't notice when Naruto first offered a pile of clothes to him. He jumped a bit when they were pushed against his face and he snatched them away to see his host's vulpine grin.

"And you call _me_ a space case, Sasuke. My apartment's not _that _interesting," he said brightly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and stalked off to change.

Naruto continued to grin after the other boy as he walked off. His expression faded until he was just smiling to himself, considerably happier than when he first came home. The thunder and lighting outside drew his attention. Deciding it would be nice to have the fresh smell of rain in the room as well as some of the cool breeze, he moved to open the window just a crack.

The wind buffeted his hair and the thunderclap that struck next was noticeably louder than the previous ones. Naruto crossed his arms on the windowsill and rested his chin in the crook of his elbow, taking in the smell of the clean air that entered the room. He didn't mind the few raindrops that peppered his face or the chill wind that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was refreshing, and since his face was still warm from crying earlier and blushing, it was a welcome comfort.

Sasuke returned to Naruto's room to see him this way; a breeze mussing his hair as he rested in front of the window looking perfectly content. Again Sasuke found himself smiling lightly. He moved towards the blond and rested on the windowsill the same way he did.

"It's nice, isn't it? The rain…" Naruto murmured. Sasuke 'hnn'd and nodded slightly. They both glanced at the next bolt of lightning that lit up the dark sky before the demon carrier rose. "Um, do you want something to eat, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke didn't reply at first; he continued to stare outside for a moment before nodding again and standing.

Their eyes met when the two turned away from the window. They both stared into the other's eyes until Naruto blushed and tore his eyes away, horribly embarrassed, and headed towards the kitchen muttering about various kinds of ramen.

Shaking his head and smirking, Sasuke followed the blond ninja into the kitchen. Naruto bustled about, opening cabinets, frowning at his low Miso Ramen supply, wondering if he'd filled his kettle enough. He wasn't used to having visitors in the daytime, let alone spending the night. "I hope the power doesn't die," he muttered as he put the kettle on to boil. He glanced at Sasuke, asked what ramen he wanted and scowled when the reply was a shrug.

Naruto couldn't help but feel awkward around the other boy, especially after he'd cried on Sasuke's shoulder and been hugged by the other. He felt his cheeks heating up and felt idiotic for being embarrassed so easily. Managing to calm down, he offered Sasuke his Cup Ramen and they went to sit on the couch to eat since Naruto only had one chair for his table.

The two ate their noodles in a companionable silence. Even though they weren't saying anything, Naruto felt it was comforting to eat with his best friend. Sasuke never had meals with anyone else either and quite enjoyed sitting beside the silent blond. Both of the teens smiled lightly to themselves, grateful for the other's company.

---

By the time Naruto's yawns began to affect Sasuke, they both decided it was time to go to sleep. Naruto tried to offer Sasuke one of his blankets from his bed, those being the only ones he owned, but the dark-haired boy declined, saying the couch alone was luxury compared to what they'd been forced to sleep on during their past few missions.

"Ok, I guess…I feel bad, though," Naruto said sheepishly. "I mean, you _are_ my guest, and—"

"Naruto, don't worry about it," Sasuke interrupted firmly. The blond blinked at him before shyly nodding and scooting towards his own bedroom.

"Umm…G-goodnight, Sasuke," he muttered before disappearing around the wall into his room. Sasuke chuckled softly and stretched out on the couch, crossing his arms behind his head and smirking at the ceiling.

"Goodnight, Naruto," he yawned. Curling up on his side, the Uchiha's dark eyes drifted closed as he willed himself to fall asleep.

He chose to ignore the pair of sky blue eyes that continued to watch him for a few seconds before their owner retreated once more to his room. Naruto smiled happily to himself and curled up on his bed, tugging his sheets up to his chin. He was happy, considering earlier events that occurred that day. However, remembering this, his smile turned into a sad frown as Sakura's words replayed perfectly in his mind.

"_Everyone hates you, Naruto! I can see the way they look at you. The way everyone looks at you. They detest the very fact that you exist. And you laugh at me for loving someone? Because it's something you'll never have!"_

…_I hate the fact that she's right,_ Naruto thought as he buried his face in the pillow and pulled the blankets over his head, hiding himself from the glares total strangers sent towards him every day of his life. _Sasuke's just…my friend. I don't want to ruin that or anything. _With a sigh, Naruto forced those thoughts away and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, they continued to plague his mind relentlessly.

Meanwhile, as the night passed, Sasuke lay awake as he often did, gazing at the slightly textured ceiling of Naruto's apartment. He closed his eyes and growled to himself. _Insomnia sucks,_ he mentally grumbled. _I'm bored out of my skull and I can't get to sleep._ He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the crook of his elbow.

At first, Sasuke thought the tiny noise that came from Naruto's bedroom was in his head. But when it sounded again, slightly louder, he frowned. He couldn't tell what it was at first. The Uchiha focused more on the small sound. He could hear what sounded like muttering and…whimpering? Sasuke frowned a bit more before pushing himself into a kneeling position on his hands and knees on the sofa.

Sasuke's bare feet lightly touched the carpeted floor before he padded softly towards Naruto's bedroom. Though he was a bit unsure of _why_, exactly, Naruto was making those noises, he soon found himself at the threshold that led into the room where the blond boy was sleeping; or, at least, trying to sleep.

Naruto was curled up around himself, blankets discarded to the opposite side of the bed. Sasuke could see that the other boy had a scared look on his face and was twitching lightly. He was asleep, but having a painful nightmare, and that was why he was making the scared noises. A sympathetic frown grew on Sasuke's face as he gazed at the fox boy. _Poor Naruto,_ he thought sadly.

It was unnerving, then, when the blond grimaced, gritted his teeth hard, and curled into a tighter ball. He looked like he was truly in pain. What sounded like a choked sob rose from his throat, and Sasuke really began to get worried. He couldn't tell what Naruto was saying, but he sounded terrified of something and had started to cry. His whole body was shaking and another loud noise burst from his throat, and Sasuke couldn't watch anymore.

Hoping that Naruto wouldn't reflexively stab him for touching him in his sleep, Sasuke moved carefully to his side and put his hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, wake up," he said quietly, shaking the other teen slightly. He jerked his hand away when Naruto violently convulsed at the touch and cried out painfully. Dark eyes narrowed worriedly at this. Sasuke leaned towards the scared blond and grabbed his shoulders tightly. Again the fox boy twitched and whimpered loudly, unconsciously trying to pull away from Sasuke's grip; the latter, however, was not about to let Naruto suffer in such a way. His fingers tightened and he shook the blond harder. "Naruto, you have to wake up," he said louder.

Naruto whimpered loudly and bit his lip, hard. His fingers dug so deep into his palms that his nails broke the skin and small drips of blood fell to the white sheets, appearing as dark blots even in the moonlit room. Sasuke's worry grew. "Don't do that," he hissed, wincing, and held Naruto's hands in his own, prying his fingers away from his palms to prevent any more damage the boy might do to himself. He certainly didn't expect the claw-like fingernails of the demon carrier to dig into his own hands like a lifeline, but at least it kept Naruto from hurting himself unintentionally.

Suddenly the blond was awake, panting loudly and shaking like a leaf. Usually bright blue eyes were strangely dull as they stared fearfully at the person he was clinging to so tightly. Sasuke sighed softly, his tense shoulders relaxing. Naruto tried to calm his racing heart at the realization that his previous suffering was just a dream. He breathed out slowly and tried to relax. Still jumpy, however, the blond ninja gave a start at Sasuke's voice.

"Finally, you woke up," he said, his voice betraying his worry.

"What…did you wake me up…?" Naruto asked quietly. Sasuke nodded. The fox boy sighed, tense muscles suddenly relaxing. He turned his eyes towards his hands, wondering why they stung, and blinked to see Sasuke's pale fingers wrapped around them. Noticing Naruto's sudden embarrassment, the Uchiha pulled his hands away, looking slightly embarrassed himself.

"You…were hurting yourself in your sleep," he muttered, looking away. Before his hands were at his sides, Naruto caught the pale hands in his own gently. The small smile and 'thanks' from the fox container brought a deeper, yet still faint, blush to Sasuke's face.

Naruto sat up stiffly and hugged his legs to himself. "Sorry," he murmured, not looking at Sasuke. "I didn't mean to wake you up, too." His voice was subdued, his expression cheerless. Sasuke sat lightly on the end of his friend's bed and glanced at him before shaking his head.

"You didn't wake me up," he said. "I…wasn't asleep yet." Naruto blinked at him owlishly.

"Oh."

The silence that followed was what induced Naruto into talking. "My…my nightmare," he began, drawing Sasuke's attention. For some reason, however, his courage to speak up faded suddenly and he began to stammer. "It…well, I…what Sakura said…" His blue eyes closed tightly, as if he was trying to block out the world, and he hid behind his knees before uttering, "I wish she'd never said that. It…it's driving me crazy…"

Sasuke could hear the blonde's voice cracking and felt rage towards the pink-haired girl building in his own mind. The bed sheets were at the Uchiha's mercy as his fingers dug into them in an attempt to calm himself down. He sighed softly though his body was tense and turned towards Naruto.

Naruto was suddenly aware of something touching his arm. His head shot up and his slightly bloodshot eyes met with Sasuke's gaze. He turned his eyes towards the pale fingers that rested on his wrist and sniffed quietly. Since when had Sasuke moved to sit so much closer? Naruto, moving his arm carefully as to not make the other teen pull his hand away, placed his own palm lightly against Sasuke's.

Though the contact was almost too gentle to be felt, both ninja seemed absorbed by it. Gradually Sasuke's hand slid away from Naruto's, however, and instead he gently set his palm against the blonde's marked cheek.

Naruto shivered faintly, more at Sasuke's expression than the touch. He spoke the other's name worriedly but gained no response in the form of words; the fingers moved slightly back, touching his hair, but still Sasuke said nothing. Naruto was growing more worried at the fact that the Uchiha looked like he was trying to make a difficult decision, and he winced when the other leaned closer, somehow expecting to be stricken. Instead, he was quite surprised when he received quite the opposite.

Sasuke's hand had slid back into his rival's blond hair and rested at the back of his head, and he shifted his body until he was face to face with the fox boy. Their foreheads were just barely touching until the dark-haired teen gathered the last of his courage and closed the distance between them.

Blue eyes shot open as realization struck, only to see a very blurry close-up of closed, dark eyes. Naruto's breath hitched as he stared, too shocked to respond. The only thought that registered in his mind was, _Holy Shit, Sasuke is _KISSING ME._ Am I still asleep? No, I know I'm not, but—_

Before the blond could reply in any way to Sasuke's blatant show of affection the latter had ended the kiss, pulling back when the other had given no reply. Naruto felt stricken at the faint hint of sadness the onyx eyes showed but was still too shell-shocked to say anything that would wind up being coherent outside of his own mind. His heart beat rapidly and his breathing sped up as well as the sensation faded, clearing his mind slightly. Sasuke's name fell from Naruto's tingling lips and before the Uchiha knew it, the fox boy had grabbed him by the hair and was kissing him back with ten times the force of the previous kiss.

Naruto had practically jumped Sasuke and the force knocked the latter onto his back. Finally regaining his bearings, Sasuke kissed back, matching the blonde's enthusiasm and wrapping his arms around the other's waist.

Both found it unfortunate when air became an issue and they were forced to part, panting softly. Naruto's eyes shone with unparalleled ecstasy as they fell upon the sight of a lightly blushing Uchiha. He beamed radiantly at the other teen who smiled back and ran his hand through blond hair. Naruto leaned close to the dark-haired ninja and buried his face into the crook of Sasuke's neck, smiling. "Sasuke…" he murmured, turning his head slightly so their gazes met in the middle.

"Naruto?" Sasuke replied almost questioningly. He couldn't hide the smile that the blond found dazzling, no matter how small. The fox ninja just grinned brightly and hugged the Uchiha tighter. He frowned slightly, though, when he noticed a concerned look in the other's dark eyes. A light shake of the head was the reply to his unasked question. "Nothing," he murmured back, tilting his head just slightly so their lips brushed together in a soft kiss. The act was enough to melt Naruto's worry away.

"You're gonna sleep here tonight." It wasn't a suggestion; rather, the blue-eyed teen stated it with finality despite his momentary loss of breath. He could have sworn he heard Sasuke _purr_ in reply before moving his arms tighter around the slightly smaller boy's waist and nuzzling his cheek against Naruto's whiskered one.

They managed to pull apart long enough to draw the sheets up, but for no longer. Instantly afterward the two ninja curled back up together and fell asleep in the other's arms, deciding they had never slept a better night in their lives.

------------------

_**Aaargh, I'm so sorry it took so long to update. Writers block is teh suxx0rz. The 'first kiss' scene took FOR-FREAKING-EVER and I'm sorry it took forever. I hope you enjoy this and don't kill me for making y'all wait so long for this chapter. If you read it. ; I've been drawing some SasuNaru fanart, though, and if I feel like it maybe I'll put it online. I think I'm a better artist than author. A'ight, I'ma go now. The next chapter should be up sooner than this one was. Read and enjoy!**_


	3. Ch 3 : The Morning After

**Falling Apart and Growing Together – The Morning After**

By Meo.

B-T-F'ing-W:_This is a story about guys heart-ing each other._

_Just thought I'd let you know._

**_Yaoi_**, SasuNaru, mayhaps a bit 'o NaruSasu :0, just a spritz of lime, Sakura bashing ('cuz she's an asshat xD (I love that insult)), and words that would not be deemed appropriate for cable television.

Since I forgot a Disclaimer in the first Chapter: This ain't mine. The…'plot' is. But not the characters or stuff. That's all. I'm not writing this again. Bitch. This is pure ctrl + c.

**AN – WOOT 24+ REVIEWS. I freaking love you guys. You all make my heart go doki-doki. –is shot- Anyhoo, being at band camp (yes, stfu) has totally worn me out. I hate having a jock as a drum major. I'm a twig! I can't run 2 laps around the field in under 5 minutes. 7:30 or something is my fastest time so farrrr ;-; Hatehatehate. …Um, yeah. Band camp's over now, so I'll get to writing faster again. Plz read k thx bai.**

**CHAPTER THREE**

Although it had never happened to him before, Naruto wasn't entirely taken aback to wake up with his head nestled in the shoulder of another person. It had been the only thing on his mind until he fell asleep and waking up to see it wasn't a mere dream filled him with delight. His whisker-marked cheeks rose as he grinned at the feeling of Sasuke's bare skin on his own, the warmth their bodies shared; even the faint smell his sensitive nose picked up as that of the Uchiha made him tingle. The occasion was rare when he could be so close to his 'rival'.

Naruto was so absorbed in the other teen that he didn't even notice that Sasuke was awake and, thus, was startled at the feeling of hands sliding up his exposed back. His body instantly went rigid and his arms tightened unconsciously around Sasuke's frame in defense. The low laugh he heard made him relax right away, though, as did the voice that followed.

"'Morning to you too, Naruto."

"Gods, Sasuke. You scared the crap out of me," the fox-container replied softly after heaving a sigh. Sasuke rolled his dark eyes and smirked at the blond. Before he could make any comments on how easily startled Naruto had been, the latter had cuddled closer to him and suddenly their bodies were flush together, skin-on-skin, Naruto's breath misting across his neck. The avenger was suddenly aware of the flood of..._feeling_ that washed over him at that moment. It wasn't the first time, though. Ever since he'd known the blond, he'd made the Uchiha _feel_ in ways nobody else had.

As his mind had wandered, Sasuke failed to notice the focus of his thoughts trying to gain his attention. When he did notice, however, he found the brilliantly blue eyes scowling at him.

"_Saaasuke,_ you weren't listening to me, were you?" Naruto asked, pouting and tugging lightly on the other teen's arm like a child would tug on their mother's skirt. "You were spacing out. You're not gonna fall back asleep, are you? 'Cuz--"

Naruto's expression suddenly darkened and he fell silent, his previous cheer forgotten. Sasuke was startled by the sudden change of emotion the blond expressed. His brow furrowed and he quickly asked what the matter was. Naruto replied despondently,

"…We have training today."

It took a moment for Sasuke to process _why_ that would upset his friend - Naruto usually looked foreword to training - but then he remembered.

Sakura would be there too.

Damn it.

"Naruto…" The Uchiha hesitated, trying to think of what to say, before deciding on, "If she says anything like that again, even _looks_ like she's going to, I swear I'll kill her." This surprised Naruto, who turned his eyes from the window to Sasuke. Even if the pink haired girl pissed Sasuke off, he never threatened to _kill_ her. It never went farther than maiming before.

Sasuke took notice of Naruto's surprise and found himself explaining his reasoning in a low mutter. "Bitch shouldn't have said that. It was more than uncalled for. And I don't want to see you sad again, Naruto. It doesn't suit you," he said, saying the last part more audibly and tightening his arms around Naruto's waist.

The fox demon's container looked deeply into Sasuke's eyes, searching. As far as he could tell, he was sincere. Very sincere. However, Naruto couldn't help but feel like there was some sort of…catch to Sasuke's affection. Why wouldn't he? All his life he'd been alone, and all of a sudden he gets saved from suicide, kissed (on purpose this time) and wakes up with his head on his rival's shoulder. Far from the ordinary, he couldn't help but be suspicious of these events.

"Why?" he asked.

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

"Why are you doing this? A joke?" Naruto asked coldly.

Their stares clashed, dark eyes narrowed in confusion while blue eyes were narrowed in an almost fierce way. Sasuke spoke first, slowly.

"Why?" he began. "Why _what_? Why did I stop you from killing yourself?" he asked. Naruto's expression wavered vaguely. "Why did I follow you home in the first place? Why did I wake you up when I heard you were having a nightmare, or hold you or kiss you or sleep with you?" By now Naruto wasn't glaring anymore; he looked slightly embarrassed and a little bit hurt. Sasuke softened his tone and finished with, "Maybe it's because I have feelings for you." He ran his fingers through the blond's hair and leaned closer. Naruto could feel Sasuke's breath drifting over his own lips teasingly, making his heart race and his breaths quicken. "Ever consider that?"

Naruto swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "I-I just thought-"

Sasuke kissed him. When he pulled his lips away, leaving his victim breathless, he murmured, "I would never joke that way," and brushed their lips together one more time.

The fox was rendered breathless, his eyes tightly shut, and his heart pounded at his chest so hard that Sasuke could feel it. He gave a sigh that sounded like he was saying the Uchiha's name and fought to get his heart rate down before hugging the other occupant of the bed as tightly as he possibly could and murmuring, "I love you," into Sasuke's chest.

Surely he had said those three words before, but never in the same context. Being told he would be treated to ramen or have a week of from missions would often make him spout the phrase. However, when he had a crush on Sakura, he'd never spoken those words to her, and even the rare occasions when Sasuke had treated him to his favorite lunch, he wouldn't have said much more than 'thanks'.

Likewise, Sasuke had yet to be heard saying the phrase since he was seven, understandably. He had sworn never to say such a thing until he could say it and mean it for what he thought it meant; that the person he would finally end up saying it to would be the person he would want to be with for the rest of his life, someone he could trust with that life and someone who would trust him and love him back. Sasuke would occasionally glance at Naruto and think to confess his feelings, but couldn't. He didn't even know why; he just couldn't. But now, as Naruto half whimpered his confession of feelings to the last Uchiha, terrified he would be rejected despite everything that had happened the previous day, Sasuke knew.

"I love you, too, Naruto," he said firmly, embracing the blond ninja as tightly as he could while still letting him breathe.

Happy enough to cry, the not-so-shunned-anymore holder of the nine-tailed fox flung his arms around Sasuke's neck and kissed him. Hard. He was already addicted to the feeling of his lips on the others and couldn't quite get enough of the sensation. Neither could Sasuke, but he was vaguely startled by the force of the kiss and found it difficult to match; not because he didn't want to, but because Naruto was kissing him so passionately it was hard for his brain to function at all.

When the two parted, it wasn't for long, because as soon as Sasuke caught his breath he had Naruto pinned beneath him and was peppering kisses across one whiskered cheek, his palm pressed against the other. Naruto was blushing deeply, but despite his embarrassment at their rather compromising positions and actions, he tightened his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and willed him to continue. Both teens were flooded with feeling, pleasurable tingles racing up and down their spines the likes of which they'd never felt.

A shuddering gasp left Naruto's lips as Sasuke's own trailed down his neck, some animalistic urge driving him on. His tongue brushed tentatively across the blonde's pulse and for his efforts Naruto hissed and bit his lip; the sensation was too much, so he grabbed a fistful of Sasuke's hair and roughly brought their lips together to divert his rival's attention. When the kiss ended, Naruto managed to pant out two words:

"…Too…fast."

Sasuke growled at the statement but had to agree; being 16 and the elder of the two, even he wasn't a legal adult. He decided that had little to do with why he stopped at Naruto's order, though; it was because he didn't want to force him into anything he didn't want. Naruto suffered enough, and Sasuke didn't want to add another pain to the demon carrier's list.

They were both in a rather awkward position, however, both sporting noticeable erections that needed to be taken care of. The Uchiha pressed his lips gently against Naruto's, sealing the unspoken deal saying they weren't going any farther, and was about to sit up when he was thrown off the bed. Naruto swore loudly and began bustling about, his face blood red, ignoring Sasuke's cries of outrage.

"What the hell?!" Sasuke yelled, clutching at his now aching skull.

Naruto glared at him, though he looked more scared than angry. "Quiet, idiot! There's someone at the door, in case you haven't heard! Damnit, I think it's Kakashi, too," he muttered, fidgeting and trying to find out how to not look awkward in front of his teacher.

As Naruto bustled about, trying to calm himself down, Sasuke climbed to his feet, rubbed his head, walked over to Naruto calmly, and kissed him. Just as he had thought it might, his rival fell quiet and relaxed instantly. "I'll greet Kakashi," he murmured against Naruto's slightly abused lips before kissing them again. "Just calm down, _please_. You're giving me even more of a headache."

"Sorry," the blond replied softly.

Since their little argument had ended the knocking on the door had started up again, and Sasuke coolly walked to and opened the door. Surely enough, a silver-haired masked man with one visible eye stood on the other side, looking quite surprised to see who he saw inside the apartment.

"Sasuke?" he said, confused.

"Kakashi," Sasuke replied, looking bored.

"…This isn't where you…live."

"I'm aware."

Kakashi stared.

"Was there something you needed, Kakashi?" the Uchiha drawled. He seemed oblivious to his teacher's confusion.

"…Um, I was hoping to see Naruto, but it's a good thing you're here, too," he replied, seeming to collect himself. "He _is_ here, isn't he?" Sasuke nodded and allowed the Jounin to enter.

Being a Jounin, Kakashi was trained to observe anything even slightly out of the ordinary. Sasuke looking disheveled and being found at Naruto's house at about eight in the morning was surely one of those 'out of the ordinary' things, but what worried him the most was the sight of a large knife discarded on the floor near the kitchen; it looked like it had been thrown there, and Kakashi was instantly on his toes, concerned for his students.

Just as he decided that there didn't seem to be any signs of a fight between his two pupils, Naruto entered from his bedroom looking as disheveled as Sasuke, if not worse. Blue eyes widened as if he was surprised to see his teacher in the living room. "Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

Kakashi looked like he regretted having to bring up the topic he did. He sighed before he spoke. "I wanted to talk to both of you about…what happened yesterday."

Both of the teen's expressions darkened visibly. _Just as I expected_, Kakashi thought, frowning. "First of all…I would like to say that I am not particularly happy with Sakura…"

Deep black and crystalline blue eyes flicked up towards the Jounin, surprised.

"…But I am not particularly happy with you, either, Sasuke," he finished. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed in response while Naruto just looked somewhat taken aback.

Kakashi continued. "While what Sakura said was completely uncalled for and cruel, loosing your temper when she asked you out – a ritual I would think you would be used to by now – was cruel to her, as well, and while I am not siding with either one of you or saying one of you was right, I _am_ saying that your response, Sasuke, was not exactly appropriate," he said. Sasuke muttered something along the lines of 'she had it coming', and that didn't please their sensei in the least.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you are part of a TEAM," he snapped. The aforementioned teen flinched in response. "I know that Sakura isn't exactly your favorite person, but that doesn't make her any less of a member of Team Seven. You need to learn to cooperate with others." Kakashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And after all this time I thought that the team would work…and we're back to the beginning," he muttered.

Both Sasuke and Naruto could sense his frustration and thought it better to not say anything at the moment. They sat quietly for once, never seeing their teacher so irritated with…well, Sasuke. After a brief pause, Kakashi regained his composure and turned his gaze back on the two teens. "After thinking about it last night, I have decided that there will be training today. A quarrel like this is no reason to put you all in a time out and make you think about what you did. You have to settle this yourselves." Sasuke and Naruto scowled faintly, and that made Kakashi scowl. "Don't give me that look. Be at the bridge in an hour."

Assuming the irritated grunt from Sasuke was an affirmative, Kakashi brightened and said, "Toodles!" before disappearing in a puff of smoke, the last thing the two remaining ninja noticed being the orange cover of their sensei's favorite book.

The downcast look on Naruto's face triggered Sasuke's defensiveness again, and he firmly stated, "I don't care what Kakashi says; if she talks like that to you again…well, let's just say that last threat on her life wasn't an empty one."

Unfortunately, what Sasuke said didn't seem to help the blond any. "Don't kill her, Sasuke," he murmured. "I don't want that. Sakura's our friend, remember?" he asked, glancing up to meet the Uchiha's gaze. "Even though…I hate what she said…I don't hate _her_. So you shouldn't hate her either, OK, Sasuke?"

As always, Sasuke was stunned by Naruto's resiliency and compassion. After blinking a few times at the soft smile the fox boy sported, he heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "I'll never understand you, Uzumaki Naruto," he admitted before agreeing that he wouldn't kill Sakura. Today. When it turned out that wasn't good enough, he caved and promised he wouldn't kill her ever. This cheered up the other boy enough that he decided to make breakfast before they went to the training ground, and while ramen wasn't Sasuke's first choice of breakfast food, he ate it anyway, vowing that he wouldn't eat ramen again for a week.

---

The muddy ground was soft beneath their feet, and it wasn't the first time Naruto disliked wearing the footwear he did. Mud snuck into the gaps between his toes, and he wondered why he showered before training, ever. He just got sweatier. Pondering this, he and Sasuke made their way to the bridge where Team Seven met every day for training.

As expected, upon arrival to the bridge, the air was taught with tension between the three ninja. Kakashi, late as usual, was nowhere to be seen, but Sakura sat quietly on the railing, hands folded in her lap, her gaze directed to the peeling paint to her left. She had glanced up at the boy's arrival, but quickly turned her eyes away, feeling both guilty and hurt at the same time. Neither of the boys gave any sign that they even noticed her besides their silence, but what could the kunoichi expect? Sakura wrung her hands until her knuckles were white. She was embarrassed, upset, guilt-wracked…she didn't know what emotion to focus on. She hoped that their sensei would arrive soon and kill the torturous silence that hung around them like a thick fog.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Naruto were tense, both for similar and different reasons as their teammate. They had wordlessly decided to not reveal their newfound mutual affection, and both were beginning to regret it. Sakura certainly didn't need to know after how she had practically begged Sasuke to love her the previous day, and Kakashi would probably freak out about it in one way or another. Even more confusing, however, was their status. Neither one knew what they _were_. Were they boyfriends? How did people in relationships announce their connection to each other, anyway? They'd heard their peers calling others boyfriends and girlfriends, but the titles were of unknown origin.

Neither boy wanted to be in one of those kinds of relationships, anyway; the constantly changing, morphing, meaningless teenage relationships so many of their peers indulged in. Few of these lasted longer than a few weeks and then after a few days of passionate mourning it was on to the next in line as if nothing had happened. Sasuke and Naruto were both disgusted by such actions. They wanted to end their loneliness once and for all; neither one needed more heartbreak. Yet neither one knew exactly _how_ to end it, so they thought in silence, eyes downcast, brows furrowed, minds focused on the same subject.

Sakura grew ever more distraught at the stern expressions her teammates wore and the pregnant silence that even the birds dare not break. She fidgeted, tugged at her dress, attempted to straighten out a wayward lock of hair, picked at her fingernail, yet nothing seemed to conjure up any sounds greater than the ruffling of fabric. Just as she had gathered up the courage to speak up for the first time, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Sorry I'm late, but you see, I had to help an old woman across the street, and…" He trailed off, vaguely surprised to see that none of his students interrupted him and accused him of lying. The jounin decided it would be for the better if he didn't try to brighten the moods of the teens with his own, false mood, because it wouldn't work. He decided to cut to the chase. Setting his jaw, he spoke. "Alright, I'm only going to remind you all once. We're a team, and we train as a team. So, with that said, we have a mission."

The group looked surprised. "You didn't say anything about that earlier," Sakura said in surprise. Kakashi nodded.

"I know. It slipped my mind, that's all," he explained, earning scowls of irritation from his students. "I thought it would be best to tell you here, all at once, so I don't have to say it more than one time. That would just be a pain." He shrugged. "Anyway, we're heading to Suna, so pack light clothes. We'll be leaving from the west gate at one o'clock. Got it?"

Either Kakashi was loosing his marbles, or he was more concerned about the team than any of the younger ninja thought. He always gave them at least a day's notice before they left on a mission; they unanimously decided he had made the decision in a hurry as a team building exercise. Despite their lack of longing to go on a mission at the moment, there was no arguing with their sensei, so they caved.

"What is the mission, though, sensei?" Naruto asked, his voice startling both his teammates. Kakashi shrugged again.

"Just a pick up, drop off of scrolls is all," he drawled. "Something simple to get us back on the right track." Though his gaze flitted between all three ninja before him, he made sure Sasuke met his eye and furrowed his brow ever so slightly, just enough to make his point clear.

_Of course,_ the teens thought, wearing various looks of mild displeasure. None of them was particularly eager to break the ice again after yesterday.

"Have I made myself clear?" The team's leader asked. Mixed replies, all positive, were made, and Kakashi nodded. "All right. Be packed and at the west gate at one." They acknowledged him again, and he was off.

Again, when their teacher's presence was absent, the thick silence flooded back in around them. Usually, at this time, brief farewells would be given, but the awkward relationships they now bore made it rather difficult to exchange any words.

Sakura slipped from the railing of the bridge to her feet looking downcast. Without lifting her eyes any higher than the boy's mud-caked toes, she softly said, "See you later," and took her leave. Both boys watched her receding back for a moment until she was out of sight, and thus, out of mind.

Almost instantly as the red dot disappeared over the horizon, Naruto caught Sasuke's wrist deftly and met the other's dark gaze. They stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment before Sasuke pulled the other boy into his arms and kissed him deeply. While the blond wasn't exactly _expecting_ the brunette to do so, per se, he did hope for it, and responded eagerly.

When their lips parted and they caught their breaths, Naruto found his voice and spoke, albeit quietly. "I don't know if I can go for the whole length of a mission without that." Sasuke found this phrase impossibly sexy and caught the fox boy's lips in his own to cover up a groan before attempting a response.

"You won't have to worry about that," he murmured. Already Naruto felt himself blushing, so he scowled to cover it up and turned his head just enough so he could match the Uchiha's gaze and be safe from his teasing lips. Sasuke smirked and Naruto scowled, but after a moment their expressions leveled and they smiled.

"You're such a bastard," the blond muttered before stealing a kiss from the other boy. He quickly turned and dashed a few feet across the bridge, Sasuke in tow. When the fox turned around to make sure the other was there, he was wearing a brilliant smile. As if it infected the Uchiha, Sasuke was soon smiling too, and, satisfied, Naruto spun on his heel and dashed off.

When he was sure his students wouldn't see him, Kakashi dropped the genjutsu he had conjured. A smile, hidden beneath his mask, lit his face while his eyes followed the two boys as they ran to their homes. _They never even thought I could still be here_, Kakashi thought happily. _Likewise, I never thought staying would let me learn anything, but, hey, what do I know? Those boys deserve to be happy. I'll let them be, and only use this as blackmail if it's absolutely necessary. _Smiling proudly, Kakashi truly disappeared, looking forward to the mission ahead.

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_**I'd like to point out the fact that band camp was sometime in September, and this chapter is full and done in January, 2007. –cough-. Yeahhhh… And besides that, I was half asleep when I was writing most of this, so it kinda sucks. Well, anyway, please R + R, tell me how my writing is and if you like the story and want me to continue. –thumbs up- Toodles 'til next time!**_


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